Astros report: Milo prepares to sign off

Updated 8:32 am, Wednesday, September 26, 2012

A meaningless game? Not for Lucas Harrell, who was his usual excitable self after escaping a jam in the fifth.

A meaningless game? Not for Lucas Harrell, who was his usual excitable self after escaping a jam in the fifth.

Photo: Melissa Phillip

Astros report: Milo prepares to sign off

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Milo Hamilton's long goodbye continues Wednesday with his final regularly scheduled broadcast with the Astros, but it won't be his last radio appearance.

Hamilton, 85, said he will make a cameo appearance next Wednesday during the Astros' season finale from Chicago. He said he will be at Gallery Furniture to meet with fans and join broadcast partners Dave Raymondand Brett Dolan to say a final goodbye to fans.

"That will be my time to incorporate some thank you's," he said.

Hamilton said he has signed a new contract with the ballclub and will do the "Astroline" show this fall and winter and a few games next season.

Harrell distraught

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Cardinals 4, Astros 0

Tipping point: Even though Astros starter Lucas Harrell was fulsome in his contempt for his own performance, Houston remained within reach until the Cardinals doubled their lead to 4-0 off reliever Hector Ambriz.

On the mound: Six-day rotations apparently don't agree with Harrell. He threw 88 pitches, 45 for strikes, in just five innings and walked six. He left the bases loaded in the second and fifth, and the latter included a double-play grounder courtesy of Carlos Beltran. Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia, after losing his first five decisions to the Astros, has now won two in a row.

At the plate: On Jose Altuve Day, the Astros second baseman recorded his 50th multi-hit game of the season. For the Cardinals, catcher Yadier Molina had two hits and is hitting .400 in 45 at-bats.

Under the radar: If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well it were done quickly. Tuesday's game lasted 2:42, the Astros' shortest home game since July.

The bad news for Lucas Harrell is that he took another loss Tuesday, allowing seven hits and two runs across five innings with six walks and a strikeout against the Cardinals.

The good news is that, given the perilous health of the Astros' rotation, he will get another five-inning stint in Chicago during the final road trip.

Harrell (10-11) has pitched 187 2/3 innings, and management said this start might be his last. But with Edgar Gonzalez trying to recover form a strained hamstring and lefthander Fernando Abad suffering from an oblique strain and is likely to miss a start, he'll get another chance.

"Hopefully I can salvage my season," he said.

Harrell remains winless since Aug. 14, but interim manager Tony DeFrancesco said the righthander "gave us everything he had."

Given his review of his own performance Tuesday, Harrell could stand to read some good reviews.

"I sucked. I was just terrible," he said. "I felt like I had never picked up a baseball before."

Harrell said he is concerned he has been affected by the Astros' move to a six-day rotation.

"It's a little too much time," he said. "I'm a touch and feel guy. I need to be out there a lot more."

Nonetheless, he ends his home schedule with a 6-3 record and a 2.23 ERA in 802⁄3 innings at Minute Maid Park

Altuve Day proclamation

He's got his own unit of measurement (the Altuve, as measured by the website HowManyAltuves.com) and his own network promo (for Comcast Sports Houston), and now second baseman Jose Altuve has his own city proclamation.

Tuesday was Jose Altuve Day in Houston, as proclaimed by Mayor Annise Parker, in recognition of his All-Star season.

Regarding his status as cult favorite, he said, "I've met a lot of people talking about that. People have something to say about my height (5 feet 5). They say I'm a big player, and I feel good about that."

Blister issues and the aftermath of flu symptoms, including a skin irritation on his scalp, notwithstanding, it will be Bud Norris on the mound for the Astros' home finale as a National League franchise today.

Norris (5-13) continues to labor through health issues and a dry spell of 12 losses and six no-decisions since his last victory on May 21. He is 3-2 with a 1.90 ERA in home games.

"I'm looking forward to getting back on the mound," he said.

Rotation medical update

Pitcher Edgar Gonzalez, who is recovering from a strained hamstring, threw a bullpen session Tuesday and said he is confident he will be ready for his start Friday in Milwaukee.